MIAMI — After a weather delay, Inter Miami CF settled for a 2-2 draw against the Columbus Crew on Saturday night in Lionel Messi’s return to Major League Soccer action.
Messi came off the bench in his first MLS appearance since returning, while Rodrigo De Paul started alongside Casemiro, who made his home debut at Nu Stadium.
Columbus controlled much of the opening stages, forcing Miami onto the defensive and limiting the hosts’ time in possession. The Crew’s early pressure produced the first shot on target, but goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo was equal to the task.
Despite spending much of the opening half under pressure, Miami capitalized on a Columbus mistake to open the scoring.
After the Crew lost possession in their own half, Luis Suárez took advantage of the goalkeeper being off his line, controlling the ball before lofting a remarkable finish from approximately 40 yards out to give Miami a 1-0 lead.
The goal extended Suárez’s scoring streak to four consecutive matches, underscoring the veteran striker’s importance during Messi’s absence.
Casemiro made an immediate impact in midfield with his passing range, helping launch several counterattacks. However, his home debut took an unfortunate turn in the 34th minute when an attempted clearance deflected into his own net, leveling the match at 1-1.
The own goal marked the third consecutive home match in which Miami conceded during the first half and shifted momentum in Columbus’ favor.
Miami responded just before halftime. In the 44th minute, Suárez delivered a cross from the right side of the penalty area that found Noah Allen, whose finish restored the Herons’ lead.
Inter Miami carried a 2-1 advantage into halftime despite being outplayed for stretches of the opening 45 minutes.
The atmosphere shifted early in the second half as Messi began warming up, drawing loud cheers from the crowd before entering the match to a chorus of “Messi! Messi! Messi!”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner wasted little time making an impact, forcing a save with his first opportunity and helping Miami gain greater control of possession.
Columbus nearly found another equalizer in the 65th minute when a shot struck the crossbar, leaving Ríos Novo with no chance had it been on target.
Miami created opportunities to extend its lead, but the Crew remained organized defensively and prevented the hosts from finding a third goal.
With a victory, Inter Miami would have moved level with Nashville SC atop the Eastern Conference standings. Instead, a costly foul late in the match provided Columbus with another opportunity.
The Crew converted the ensuing free kick to equalize at 2-2, spoiling what had appeared to be a winning night for the Herons. The foul was committed by Casemiro, capping a difficult home debut for the Brazilian midfielder.
Five minutes of stoppage time produced one final opportunity for Miami after Messi’s header forced a save, leading to a late corner kick. Columbus successfully cleared the danger, preserving the draw.
The result snapped Inter Miami’s six-match winning streak and left the club in second place in the Eastern Conference standings heading into Leagues Cup play.
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